


Security Blanket

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Character Study, Community: fanfic100, Community: mcfleece, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-12-23
Updated: 2008-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-21 15:21:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/226660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He'd brought the fleece to Pegasus as his personal item but someone else needed it more.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Security Blanket

**Author's Note:**

> Written for **Mcfleece** Christmas 2008 and also meets **fanfic100** #24 Family.

When the heating on Atlantis failed due to an overload on one of the generators powering that particular subroutine, Rodney dug through the clothing at the back of his wardrobe and pulled out his trusty orange fleece. He'd brought it to Pegasus as his personal item, having no need for MP3 players or Hail Mary's, pocket watches or pigeon memorabilia. Over the years it had faded a little, losing some of the glare that used to have Daniel shielding his eyes teasingly in Antarctica and murmuring that looking into the brightness of the midday sun would damage his eyes.

Rodney huffed, rolling his eyes in memory. The fleece was still thick and warm though, and soft from being worn and washed so many times. Rodney stroked the luxurious fleece, bringing it up to his nose to inhale the warm, familiar scent of it before slipping it over his head.

Jeannie had bought it for him the Christmas before they stopped talking to each other--or rather, when he had stopped talking to her. At the time it had seemed a pretty stupid present when he was already destined for the desert location of Area51. He'd shoved it to the bottom of his bag in anger after the argument, only finding it again when he ended up with a one way ticket to Siberia, courtesy of an irate General Hammond and Samantha Carter. In Siberia, he felt guilty the first time he slipped it on but, as the days turned to weeks then months, that fleece began to warm more than just his body. It warmed his heart too with memories of his sister, making him feel safe and secure even in exile. Several times, he considered taking a photo of himself wearing the fleece and sending it to Jeannie, hoping she'd see it as a peace offering, but his pride had been too great. She had made such a stupid decision, throwing away her career and wasting her intelligence to be a stay-at-home mother just because some English Major couldn't keep his dick in his pants, and out of hers.

Oblivious at first, he eventually noticed that whenever he wore the fleece, some of the more annoying Russian scientists vanished long before he had the chance to bemoan their lack of intelligence and tell them to get out of his sight.

Saving O'Neill and the Earth from Anubis--admittedly with help from Sam and that little alien guy, Jonas--brought him back out of exile but only until O'Neill led SG-1 to the Antarctic Outpost. Once more he had unpacked the fleece and worn it on the flight out beyond McMurdo into a wilderness of ice and snow, ignoring Daniel's comments about his fleece clashing with the more subdued architecture and colors in the Ancient outpost. The fleece warmed him in the coldness of the Outpost, and made him feel safe amid the alien surroundings.

His thoughts returned to Atlantis and the cold, wintry air. Outside it was snowing lightly, with delicate snowflakes drifting from a cloudy white sky to settle on the balconies and piers.

As he walked through the cold corridors, feeling warm inside and out, he passed by Teyla's open door and heard her trying to soothe Torren but the wails continued unabated. The temptation to walk on by quickly just to get out of earshot of the crying baby, seemed to desert him. Instead, he stepped into the room and called softly.

"Teyla?"

"Rodney!"

Her eyes looked tight with frustration, mouth a downward slant in both corners as she rocked Torren without success. Only a week earlier, she had allowed him to hold Torren, trusting him to be more careful and not to drop the baby again. His arm had healed pretty well with Ancient healing treatments, only smarting a little when he showered.

"What's wrong? Is he ill?"

"No, I do not think so. He seems unsettled nonetheless."

"Um. Do you want me to...to try?" He raised both arms a fraction and saw relief fill Teyla's dark eyes.

"Please!"

She passed the crying baby over and Rodney held him close against his fleece-clad chest. Torren gave several exhausted little hitches and then grew quiet, causing Rodney to grin widely. He rocked him for a while, waiting until his sleepy eyes closed and then carefully passed Torren back to his mother. The moment Torren left Rodney's arms, his eyes popped back open and he wailed, only to give a few disgruntled sniffs as he settled back against Rodney's chest. Again, as soon as he tried to pass the sleeping baby back, Torren awoke and began to cry.

Rodney was at a loss. As much as he liked Teyla and would do almost anything for her, he had work to do. The heating wasn't going to fix itself and not everyone had a warm fleece to... He held up a finger to Teyla as the Eureka moment struck and, gritting his teeth, he pulled off the fleece and positioned it carefully in his arms. Goose bumps rose instantly from the cold air on his exposed arms, and he shivered as the cold seeped through his thin blue science shirt.

"Pass him back."

Teyla placed Torren into his arms and Rodney wrapped the orange fleece around his small body, swaddling him within the soft, warm material. Torren quieted instantly, quickly drifting off to sleep, and remaining fast asleep when Rodney handed the fleece-swaddled baby back to his mother.

The smile Teyla gave him warmed Rodney all the way back to his room to pick up his jacket.

***

Rodney never got his fleece back but he saw it often over the years that followed, usually being dragged behind Torren as he waddled around Atlantis, or hugged tightly in his small arms while he played and slept, but Rodney didn't mind the loss. It took him a while to realize that it had been his personal security blanket during those days of exile from first his family and then in Siberia, but with his renewed relationship with Jeannie, and with his newfound surrogate family on Atlantis, perhaps Torren needed it more than he did these days.

END


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